Denpasar. The Bali Police arrested a Russian national identified by the initials KA at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on Thursday night as he was preparing to board a flight to Dubai.

Commissioner Ariasandy, Head of the Public Relations Division of the Bali Police, confirmed the arrest, stating that KA is suspected of being part of a group involved in the robbery of cryptocurrency assets belonging to a Ukrainian national in Bali.

KA was arrested without resistance by a joint team from Ngurah Rai Immigration and the Bali Police. He was immediately taken to Bali Police Headquarters for further questioning.

“He was planning to leave Indonesia for Dubai,” Ariasandy said. He added that the police are still pursuing eight other suspects.

“At the moment, we have him in custody to determine his involvement in the case,” he continued.

According to a police report, the incident occurred on December 15 in South Kuta District, Badung Regency. Ukrainian national Igor Iermakov and his driver were traveling in a BMW when their car was ambushed on Tundun Penyu Dipal Street. Two other vehicles blocked their path from the front and rear.

Four masked men dressed in black approached their vehicle, armed with knives, hammers, and guns. The assailants allegedly forced Iermakov and his driver out of the car, blindfolded them, and restrained them with handcuffs.

The victims were then taken to a villa in South Kuta, where the kidnappers confiscated Iermakov’s cellphone and coerced him into transferring his cryptocurrency assets worth Rp 3.5 billion ($214,500) into two accounts. 

The victim managed to escape and reported the incident to the police.